Smoke box construction for locomotives



Aug. 16, 1932. c APPS 1,872,217

SMOKE BOX CONSTRUCTION FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed y 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATT NEY 16, 1932. c. H. APPS SMOKE BOX CONSTRUCTION FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed July 10. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 7.-

m 0 R H mm N/ 0 Em /an mh [A C Y B Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES i 7,

CHARLES H. APPS, or n As'r ORANGE, NEW JERSEY SMOKE BOX CONSTRUCTION FOR LOCOMOTIVES Application filed July 10, 1929. Serial No. 377,155.

This invention relates generally to smoke box constructions for locomotives, and more particularly to such constructions having certain parts thereof formed as integral or ions-piece castings.

In present and prior locomotive practice, the smoke boxes have been made of rolled plate metal, and the accessories usually located at the front of the locomotive, such as feed water heaters and the feed and delivery pipes therefor, and air pumps, have been disposed outside of the shell in certain constructions so as to seriously obstruct the view of the engineer. The smoke box junction ring, the front tube sheet, the bracing ribs articulated locomotives, where it is-necessary to disposed the bottom of the smoke box at a higher level than the bottom of the boiler, it has been foundthat, the formation of the irregularly shaped junction ring out of rolled metal is a difficult and expensive piece of work. j

A An object of the present invention is to provide a. smoke box construction of great 0 strength and durability, which enables certain of the front end accessories or equipment such as the feed water heater, feed and delivery pipes leading thereto, and the air pumps, to be compactly disposed so as to afford the minimum obstruction to the view of theengineer, and which is economical to manufacture, and maintain.

Another object of the invention is to pro-:

vide a smoke box construction wherein oer tain of the elements may be formed as intethen connected rigidly together the boiler, to afford the clearance required gral, one-piece castings. Other objects of the invention will hereinafter readily appear. The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set'forth. p

In the'accompanying drawings: Figure. l

is a longitudinal, vertical,'central section of a smoke box, and associated parts,-embody- 'ing the invention; Fig. 2, a broken transverse,

vertical section, taken on the line IIII,' Fig 1; Fig. 3, a broken front elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 1; Fig. if, a longitudinal, vertical section of a modified form of smoke box construction wherein the steam and exhaust pipe section of the smoke box has its bottom disposed at a higher level than the bottom of the front of the boiler .to afford the clearance requiredin articulated locomotives wherein the front section is adapted for the accommodation of a feed water heaterv of inverted U-shape; Fig. 5,

'a view half in front elevation, and half in transverse, vertical section, on the line V-V, Fig. l; Fig. 6, a front elevation of a further modified form of smoke-box construction, wherein the steam and exhaust pipe section of the smoke bOX is of inverted U shape,

having a flat bottom which projects laterally to each side of the boiler barrel; and, Fig. 7, a front elevation of a further modified form of smoke-box construction wherein the steam and 'exhaust pipe section of the smoke box is formed with a flat bottom disposed at .a higher level than the bottom of the front of in articulated locomotives. 30 In the practice of the invention, referring descriptively to the specific embodiments thereof which have been selected for exempliiication'herein, thesmoke box comprises an intermediate or steam and exhaust pipe sec- 99 tion A, a front feed water section B, and a rear or junction ring section C.

The steam and exhaust pipe section A may be formed of rolled plate 10, or may be made asan integral casting.

Referring more particularly to the embodiments of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, the front section Bis formed as an integral or one-piece casting and comprises a longitudinally disposed barrel 11, having I an integral or one piece castin shell, to which a fiat upper wall 11a, and a semi-circular bottom wall 11?), which barrel projects forwardly of the steam and exhaust pipe section A, and is made of considerably smaller diameter than that section, to provide for compact accommodation of front accessories, or equipment such as the feed water heater, pipes leading to and from the heater, and air pumps; a rear circular vertical wall 110, formed with an opening 11d, aligned with and of the same size as the opening through the barrel; a circular flange 11c, projecting rearwardly from a point spaced slightly inwardly of the perimeter of the rear wall 110, by which flange the front section B, is rigidly connected to the forward end of the steam and exhaust pipe section, by rivets 11;; a front circular vertical wall 11g, substantially a counterpart of the rear wall 110, having an opening 11%, aligned with and of thesame size as the opening through the barrel; and hinge knuckles 1170, to which is pivotally connected a suitable door 11Z (indicated by dash and dot lines). The improved construction of the front section of the smoke box provides a chamber 11m, adapted to compactly receive a feed Water heater 12, having a horizontal cyl ndrical barrel, and the upper ends 13a of the feed and delivery pipes 13; and a curved chamber 11%, adapted to receive those portions of the feed and delivery pipes leading up' from the bottom of the smoke box (the heater and pipes being indicated by dash and dot lines). The chambers may be provided with a suitable cover sheet 130. I

The junction ring section C is formed as comprising a junction ring 14 a front tube sheet 15, a dry pipe ring 16, and bracing ribs 17. The junction ring comprises a circular longitudinal flange 14a, of substantially the same external diameter as the internal diameter of the steam and exhaust pipe section A, to which flange the steam and exhaust pipe section is rigidly connected byrivets 14?); a circular longitudinal flange 140 of smaller diameter than the flange 14a but of substantially the same external diameter as the internal diameter of the front end of the boiler flange 140, the boiler shell is rigidly connected in leak proof union by rivets 14d; and a vertical circular web, 146, which joins the flanges 14a, and 140, together and supports them in vertically spaced relation. The front tube sheet 15, is united to the flange 14c, and embodies in its upper section 15a, the dry pipe ring 16, and bracing ribs 17, and in its lower section 155, the fire tube openings 150.

It is within the contemplation. of the invention to brace the tube sheetby-any suitable means, such, as diagonal braces connected to the ribs 17, staybolts connected to the through the openings 18, or brace rods 1 Sheet nected to the tube sheet by suitably fastened brackets.

In the modified form of construction shown in Figures 4 and 5, the junction ring casting C, has the upper dry pipe ring section 15a, of the tube sheet, formed integral, a suitable space 15d, being left below that section for a separately formed fire tube section which may be of rolled plate metal. It is within the contemplation of the invention to form the entire tube-sheetcr any desired portion thereof separately, and to join said separately formed sheet or section thereof to the junction ring in the process of casting the ring or by any other suitable means, such, for example, as welding or riveting.

The modified form of construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is adapted for use on articulated locomotives, and for the application of a feed water heater of inverted U-shape.

In this construction the steam and exhaust pipe and front sections, A and B, of the smoke box are made of considerably less diameter than the front of the boiler shell, and disposed so that their tops will be substantially flush with the lagging at the top of the boiler and their bottoms spaced considerably above the bottom of the boiler to give the necessary clearance to permit the smoke box to move laterally relatively to the locomotive bed on curved track.

The front section B of the smoke box, has its barrel 11, and front and rear walls 11g, and 110, substantially circular, so as to provideacircular space for the reception of an inverted U-shape feed water heater 19, and the feed and delivery pipes 19a (indicated by dash and dot lines), leading thereto.

In the modification shown in Figure 6, sections'A, and B, of the smoke box are made substantially inverted U-shape in cross section, their bottoms being flat and having substantially right angle corners 20. It will be understood that the longitudinally disposed barrel 11 of the front section B is cylindrical, the same as in the construction shown in Figures 4c and 5, while the front and rear vertical transverse flanges are of the said substantially inverted U-shape, similar to the section A, defining the shape of the cover sheet of the section.

In the modification shown in Figure 7, the sectionsA and B of the smoke box are made in the form of a cylinder having a flattened bottom 21, disposed above the bottom of the boiler to provide for clearance.

The improved construction enables the junction ring and front sections of the smoke box to be made as integral or one-piece castings, thus eliminating the high cost of manufacture and maintenance of the fabricated structures heretofore known. Furthermore the improved construction is more durable andefficient in operation, and enables the front end accessories to be more compactly disposed, than the constructions heretofore known.

While certain preferred forms of construction have been described and illustrated, it is obvious that many variations in procedure, form, arrangement, and construction, may be resorted to, and the invention, therefore, is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but includes such changes and modifications as come within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

The invention claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A smoke box for locomotives, comprising a junction ring section formed as an integral casting, said section comprising a tube sheet, a peripheral horizontal flange extending rearwardly from the tube sheet, and a peripheral horizontal flange extending forwardly of the tube sheet, said rearwardly extending horizontal flange being adapted for connection with a locomotive boiler shell, a front section formed as an integral casting and embodying a longitudinally disposed barrel, and an intermediate section connected at its forward end to the said front section and at its rear end to the said forwardly extending flange, the said front section being of substantially smaller diameter than the intermediate section.

2. A junction ring section for locomotive smoke boxes formed as an integral casting and embodying a front tube sheet, a peripheral horizontal flange extending rearwardly of the tube sheet, a substantially vertical flange forward of the rearwardly extending flange and a horizontal flange extending forwardly from said vertical flange, said vertical flange supporting the horizontal flanges in spaced vertical relation. I

8. In a smoke box for locomotives, the combination of a steam and exhaust pipe section; and a front section formed as an integral casting and comprising a longitudinal substantially cylindrical barrel, and spaced front and rear walls projecting laterally from the barrel providing therewith a chamber annular in transverse cross section of the smoke box adapted to receive a feed water heater of the inverted-U type, and the pipes leading to and from the heater.

4. A smoke box for locomotives having an inverted U-shaped outer wall the upper half of which is semi-cylindrical and the lower half semi-box form, the bottom of which is formed of a flat plate joined to the sides; a one piece cast smoke box front of cylidrical formation of smaller diameter than the semi-cylinder and provided with front and rear flanges shaped to conform to the U-shaped wall; and means for securing the U-shaped wall and rear flange together.

5. A locomotive comprising a boiler shell; and a smoke box junction ring section formed a substantially vertical web supporting the flanges in spaced relation, said forwardly extending flange being spaced at its bottom a substantial distance above the bottom of the boiler shell. I

6. In a smoke box for locomotives, the combination of a steam and exhaust pipe section;

and a front section formed as an integral casting embodying a longitudinal barrel of less cross sectional area than the. steam and exhaust pipe section, and front and rear walls projecting laterally outward from the barrel, the periphery of. said outwardly extending walls being in alignment with the exterior of the steam and exhaust pipe section.

.7. In a locomotive, the combination of a smoke box, embodying a steam and exhaust pipe section, and a section forwardof the steam and exhaust pipe section formed as an integral casting embodying a longitudinal barrel and front and rear walls projecting laterally outward from said barrel, the periphery of said outwardly extending walls being in alignment with the exterior of the steam and exhaust pipe section, and the top of said barrel being disposed a substantial distance below the top of the front and rear walls providing a space for a feed water heater to permit the same to be accommodated over the barrel without projecting above the top of said walls, the rear wall of said front section having a rearwardly extending peripheral flange attached to the steam and exhaust pipe section; and a feed water heater disposed in the said space.

. 8. In a locomotive, the combination of a smoke box embodying a steam and exhaust pipe section, and a front section formed as an'integral casting embodying a longitudinal barrel and front and rear walls projecting laterally outward from said barrel, the periphery of said, walls being in alignment with the exterior of the steam and exhaust pipe section, and the top of said barrel being disposed a substantial distance below the top of the front and rear walls providing a space for a feed water heater to permit the same to be accommodated over the barrel without projecting above the top of said walls; a nd a feed water heater disposed in said space.

9. In a locomotive, the combination of a smoke box comprising a steam and exhaust pipe section, and a separate front section, the front section embodying .a horizontal barrel so positioned and of sufliciently less cross sectional area than the steam and exhaust pipe sect-ion as to provide at the top of the barrel a space adapted to accommodate a feed water heater, without the heater projecting above the top of the steam and exhaust pipe section, and a space around the sides of the barrel to accommodate pipes of a the heater without their projecting beyond the sides of the steam and exhaust pipe section of the smoke box, and front and rear walls extending laterally outwardly from said barrel, the periphery of said walls beingin alignment with the exterior of the steam and exhaust pipe section; a feed water heater disposed within the said first space; and pipes disposed within said second space extending from the bottom of the smoke box to and connected with the feed water heater.

10. A locomotive comprising a boiler shell; a smoke box section comprising an integral casting embodying a junction ring for connecting' the smoke box and boiler shell, and the dry pipe section of a front tube sheet; and a tube section of a front tube sheet joined with the ring interiorly thereof, and removable as a whole therefrom.

11. A junction ring section for a locomotive smoke box formed as an integral casting, and comprising a longitudinal flange for connection to another smoke box section, a longitudinal flange for connection to the front end of a boiler shell, and a substantially vertical web supporting the flanges vertically away from each other.

12. In a locomotive the combination of a boiler shell; a circumferential smoke box section comprising a junction ring having a rearwardly extending flange connected to the boiler shell and a forwardly extending flange adapted for connection with another smoke box section, said junction ring section being formed as an integral casting; and a tube sheet section joined with the junction ring section interiorly thereof, and removable as a whole therefrom.

13. In a locomotive the combination of a boiler shell; a circumferential smoke box section comprising a junction ring formed as an integral casting and embodying a longitudinal flange adapted for connection to another smoke box section, a longitudinal flange connected to the front end of the boiler shell, and a substantially vertical web supporting the flanges in spaced vertical relation; and a locomotive boiler front tube sheet joined with the junction ring section interiorly thereof.

CHARLES H. APPS. 

